Hello!

My son is starting school next year and is only allowed to wear lace up shoes. As yet he does not know how to tie his laces and forever runs around with them untied until someone does them for him. Can anyone provide any tips on how to teach him to tie his laces?


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  • lots of fine motor activities first so that he gains strength, coordination and control of his movements. If he is not ready, there are plenty of great velcro etc alternatives until he is ready.


  • It was difficult for my husband and I to teach our boys because we are both right handed whilst both boys are left handed. We had a lot of friends think it should have been easier for us because we could shadow teach them. We were lucky as my friend is left handed taught my boys and thank goodness they learnt very quickly. If kids are unable to tie them what about trying those laces that stretch so you don’t need to undo them


  • If the school wants him to wear laces then they can teach him to tie them. Some kids just aren’t ready and pushing them too hard can be horrible for them. I’d just give him velcro until he gets a little bit older.


  • Make it a game, thats how we did it, and be patient it takes time A( and what a silly school really)


  • Does he know how to tie a knot? You can just show him the two loops and tie a knot technique which kids find easier to understand. It takes practice though!


  • It takes time and patience …. just every day after school and on weekends you have one shoe and he have the other and you show him step by step


  • Same here. My son just started a new school and they are not allowed anything other than lace up shoes unless you are a prep student. So maybe they teach the kids in prep at this school. So I am forever double knotting my son’s shoes as he hasn’t mastered it yet


  • If kids can not tie their shoes lace them up with black elastic. Saves all the stress. Kids learn at different levels. Some get it and some never do until they are at least 8-10.


  • l taught my kids by getting them to practice by tying a ribbon around their leg, once they mastered that they then went on to shoe laces in their shoes.


  • Unless the teachers are willing to help tie shoelaces, kids should not be required to wear laced shoes. It’s difficult for children of that age to tie their own shoe laces. Takes fine gross motor skills to do it


  • My first thought was take the pressure off yourself and buy velcro, check with the school that they really won’t allow those. otherwise draw up a mock shoe or boot on card (you used to be able to buy those) make lace holes thread the lace and let him practise on that make a game of it and reward him if he does it.


  • Just a question as to why are they only allowed to wear lace ups. My 4 kids all struggled with laces even though we taught them and the velcro shoes were a godsend for them. It took away anxiety and frustration on the kids part and also meant the teacher had less shoes to tie. They all learned eventually but in their first year of school this was one less struggle and thing for them to cope with. Find out again if there is a problem with these shoes because I as a parent and a teacher welcome them and there are plenty of regulation school shoes out there with velcro.


  • just keep letting him see you do it, he get it in the end


  • there are some good comments here


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